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Its Halloween and as I watch fancy dressed trick or treaters traverse our streets I think what other occasions or events are enhanced by fancy dress.

I have a mate who a couple of years ago entered the London Marathon. He trained hard and certainly contributed to the spectacle but to be fair I never really thought he would win. Even though he confidently predicted a good performance and indeed talked a good race he did not win the event. This is how I think the inaugural SPFL Premiership is for a number of clubs. I think that most fans will agree Celtic will win the Premiership. Sadly it’s not a question of if but when. This will mean that despite challenges from the other towns and cities the top league prize will remain in Glasgow for a thirtieth year. With the absence of Rangers the big league trophy (probably being designed by Neil Doncaster as we speak) will don green and white ribbons and be paraded around the East End of Glasgow come May. There will be twists and turns for second place but as Ron Dennis of McLaren F1 says “second is just first of the losers.”

It is in this notion that lies the problem recently Aberdeen hosted Dundee United “The New Firm” a feisty tasty clash it looked like on paper too before the game the hype and hope was intense. Thirty years ago a guaranteed sell out between European Cup Winners Cup Holders and League Champions. A battle between Ferguson and McLean. A pitch littered with Scottish Internationals and household names. A few weeks ago barely half full Pittodrie witnessed Derek McInnes Aberdeen beat Jackie McNamara’s United one nil. When this game was for cups and titles you could not get a ticket for love or money now it’s for at best second place in a devalued league you get your choice of seats. This is not to deride the eleven thousand Aberdeen Fans or the twelve hundred United fans who braved a misty damp cold October day, no they stand by their teams some would say stand free admirably. For even this many to want to follow teams with no realistic hope of winning a league is to be applauded. The Question is though what are the hopes and ambitions of clubs in the SPFL Premiership?

Not get relegated

Finish in top 6

Do well in a cup

Don’t accrue debt

Hope none of our fans (customers) notice so we can continue this charade of competitiveness next season.

Lets take this one by one I think and am agreed with widely that Hearts are going down automatically. The deductions just make it impossible now I feel for The Jam Tarts to survive in SPFL Premiership. Also I feel that given current circumstances that Kilmarnock are not a team you would bet on staying up. There is just too much uncertainty going on at every level at Rugby Park for me to believe they could survive. So that’s relegation taken care of for ten teams.

Finish in top six? This can only be because in doing so you have a 40% chance of hosting Celtic (Maybe for a title party) with all the additional income their fans and TV bring.

Do well in a cup? Allows Chairmen and Managers to cling on to some Brasso and looks good in next years team photos.

Don’t accrue debt? look at Hearts and for 75% of the SPFL premiership the question is not accrue debt its service the current debt.

Number 6 needs no explanation.

So you see from my view Celtic will win the SPFL Premiership Hearts will go down to a Championship that is looking incredibly tasty next season already. Kilmarnock will join them. Sad to say the rest of the League is nothing more than also ran’s and fancy dress charity merchants. Looking to beat personal bests raise money for just causes (Usually banks they own money too). Pick a club out with Celtic Hearts and Killie and all you really see is participants, and like my mate who participated in the London Marathon they too are desperately hoping the guy in the divers suit does not overtake them. For the record my mate finished in over six hours and was not happy when I suggested did that include the time he sat down for a pub lunch mid way through.